DESPITE HIS LOVE FOR TEACHING, MARK SCHIRMER IS RETIRING FOR HIS THIRD AND LAST TIME PHOTO BY LAUREN EDWARDS Woodshop teacher Mark Schirmer is retiring after 10 years at Northwest. But for Schirmer, who has retired twice before, retiring is not anything new. “I only intended to be here five years,” Schirmer said. “When I retired the second time I thought I was done. I found out that I missed being with students so that’s why I came back.” Schirmer’s love for students is not just something he found on his own, but it is something he was born into. “Both [of my] parents were in education,” Schirmer said. “When I went through college I had trouble making up my mind so I ended up with a certification in math, science, business and industrial arts.” Although he is certified to teach many different subjects, Schirmer stuck to woods. He has taught Wood Design 1, Wood Design 2, Wood Design and Fabrication and Computer Aided Manufacturing.
+ BY GRACE GORENFLO “I am most proud of seeing all of my students achieve something that they didn’t think they could do,” Schirmer said. “Something that was beyond their abilities and their skills.” As he switches from working to being a retiree, there are things Schirmer will miss about Northwest. “[I will remember] what a great school this is, with great faculty, awesome students and great parent support,” Schirmer said. “I’m going to miss the excitement and the sheer joy and the sense of pride that I see out of these students as they make some incredible projects.”
GYMNASTICS COACH AND GYM TEACHER JANICE BAKER IS RETIRING AFTER 42 YEARS OF TEACHING
PHOTO BY KEVIN THOMPSON Janice Baker has decided to retire after teaching physical education along with coaching a variety of sports including dance, aquatics, tennis, track and field, cheerleading and her notorious sport gymnastics for 42 years. “I liked P.E.,” Baker said. “In fact that’s probably why I’m a P.E. teacher because I had some pretty good P.E. teachers. My gymnastics coach also inspired me.” Baker plans on traveling and moving houses after her retirement, but won’t forget her physical activity. “Hopefully I am going to exercise,” Baker said. “And spend more time with my husband. Maybe judge gymnastics or teach in a club if I get bored and do gymnastics with little kids.” Gymnastics has been a passion of Baker’s life since she was a child. “I started when I was ten,” Baker said. “And went all through college, so 12 years. I coached and worked around gymnastics for 42 years.
AFTER 24 YEARS TEACHING AT NORTHWEST, SPANISH TEACHER SUSANNE KISSANE HAS DECIDED IT’S TIME TO RETIRE. PHOTO BY KEVIN THOMPSON Looking back on the early years of her career, Spanish teacher Susanne Kissane reminisces on how she first fell in love with teaching. “I always knew I wanted to teach,” Kissane said. “In college I took several interest inventory surveys that were supposed to predict what kind of career you would best be served in. On those surveys, teaching was hardly ever my first preference by the way I answered the questions.” Kissane pushed aside what the results had told her, and she went for it. In her 33 years of teaching, Kissane has found that there is no greater joy than watching a student start to understand the material she teaches. “[The greatest thing about teaching is] being in the classroom and just watching kids start to get it.” Kissane said. “There’s no better high than watching their eyes light up and for them to be able to put it together.” In college, Kissane was first majoring in English, but her interest in Spanish grew. She switched her major to Spanish and
+ BY SHELBY BEAUMONT graduated with a double major in both languages. Before Kissane began teaching in the Shawnee Mission school district, she spent six years as a stay-athome mom. “Other than being a mom, I don’t think there was [a second career choice],” Kissane said. She enjoyed the years she got to spend with her family and kids, and hopes to do the same with her free time that will come with retirement. “What I’m looking forward to most is spending more time with my granddaughter who is about to turn nine months old. I’m hoping to have a lot more weekends with her,” Kissane said.
+ BY MAKAILA WILLIAMS [Northwest] won seven state championships, so that was fun watching them get that trophy.” Baker has taught over 15,000 students in her teaching career. “When you have kids who don’t like P.E. and turn around and tell you they do,” Baker said. “That’s an accomplishment for me that they enjoy exercising, taking care of their body and learn about the sports we do.” Baker may be retiring, but hopes for students to keep exercising. “I just want to have people that enjoyed taking care of themselves, learn to love your body and learn to enjoy exercise and make it a part of your life.”
THE DISTRICT’S RETIREMENT INCENTIVE CONVINCES MATH TEACHER KEN SUMMERS THAT IT’S TIME TO LEAVE PHOTO BY KEVIN THOMPSON After 45 years, 17 at Northwest, math teacher Ken Summers is retiring. “I’ve taught low-level math here all the way up to Calculus 3 and IB math,” Summers said. He felt the calling to be a teacher from a young age and never gave up on it. “From the time I was in junior high, I thought I wanted to be a teacher,” Summers said. “I was good at math so I decided to do that.” Summers has coached boys’ varsity swim, track, girls’ basketball, girls’ volleyball and was the sponsor for Club 121. His favorite memory, however, was with the boys’ track team. “In 2001, we won the boys’ state track championship on the last event,” Summers said. “It was very long and tiring — but that was pretty exciting.” Although he has many fond memories of Northwest, he decided that this year would be a good year for him to retire.
+ BENJAMIN BECKER “I’ll be 67 and it’s tiring,” Summers said. “My wife is retired, so it’d be nice to spend a little more time with her and the grandkids. Probably what tipped me over the edge was the fact that they offered a financial incentive this year.” Summers may be leaving but he hopes his students’ and coworkers’ will not forget him and who he was as a person. “[I want to be remembered as] someone who worked hard to try to get things accomplished,” Summers said. “I was willing to do things for people and help people no matter what. I had the willingness to get things done.”
NW passage | feature
29